Death Metal, Vernacular And Tradition: The Music Scene In Taiwan

A Moving Sound. YunYa Hsieh stands at the center, Scott Praire sits to the right.

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Originally published on October 12, 2011 6:27 pm

Taiwan might be known to most Americans for its export economy, but it's also been importing musical styles — from avant garde jazz to hip-hop. I first learned about Taiwan's thriving music scene from Joshua Samuel Brown. He's a travel writer who authored the last two editions of Lonely Planet: Taiwan.

He told me about a band called Kou Chou Ching. They have a song called "Your Name Is TAIWAN." That the group embraces national identity is a big deal for a country that was not allowed to for decades. The Kou Chou Ching acknowledges Taiwan's multiethnic population. One of the ways it does so is by using multiple indigenous dialects and lyrics like, "It doesn't matter what you speak at home / If you speak Taiwanese, if you speak Hakka, if you speak Mandarin / If you're eating Taiwanese rice and drinking Taiwanese water that makes you Taiwanese."

Kou Chou Ching is one of a few very different Taiwanese bands that have been touring North America, says Brown, including one called Chthonic. "They're a death metal band," he says. "I normally do not listen to death metal, but I really like these guys."

Chthonic's pretty famous in death metal circles worldwide, but its fanbase in Taiwan is a little unusual for a band that cavorts around stage in black makeup. "They get old people coming to their shows," says Brown. "They're sitting in the audience smiling happily and enjoying this head-banging music."

These old people, says Brown, appreciate freedom of expression as only those who have lived without it can. Chthonic incorporates Tawainese mythology and takes pro-human rights positions on sensitive subjects like China's occupation of Tibet. And those older fans, who were once forbidden from speaking Taiwanese, get a huge kick out if hearing it sung like this.

Using music to rediscover Taiwanese identity is also the work of a 40-year-old classically-trained singer named YunYa Hsieh, who's known professionally as Mia Hsieh. She leads a group called A Moving Sound that explores traditional Taiwanese music including songs from its 14 aboriginal tribes. Music like it was suppressed during decades of marital law. Now Hsieh combines it with decidedly contemporary sensibilities.

When she was just a child, Hsieh did light hand manufacturing every day, all day long. Her family pieced together things like Christmas ornaments and artifical flowers for export to the United States.

"We were working on it at home in our living room and in school," she says. "When teacher was talking, under [the] table we were doing all this small work." Hsieh's American husband, Scott Praire, is in A Moving Sound too. "At school she was putting the teeth in combs," he says. "The little pieces of the combs — she's putting them in one by one at school."

Praire and Hsieh met ten years ago, when she was living in New York City, studying with composer and performance artist Meredith Monk. He moved to Taiwan, joined A Moving Sound and brought Western guitars into the mix.

The group's members believe that mix reflects Taiwan today — cosmopolitan, international, culturally open. Prairie says Taiwan is a great place to be a musician, and not just because everybody gets health care. It's filled with people who grew up taking music lessons and who are now eager to experiment with new and interesting forms — or, like Hsieh — older ones.

Hsieh says her husband brought fresh ears to the traditional music she was determined to excavate, reinterpret and reclaim. She remembers the time Praire came to rehearsal thrilled about a familiar old folk song he'd just learned.

"All the rest of [the] members say, 'Oh, my god. It sounds so local,'" she says. "'It's even too local for us to want to play it.'"

The song is called "The Market Song," and it's kind of an homage to Hsieh's parents, open-air vendors. But it also celebrates a different kind of market, one where music moves around the world freely — through the past, into the future.

Copyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

GUY RAZ, HOST:

The two words most Americans probably associate with Taiwan are made in, not music scene. While Taiwan is famous for its export economy, NPR's Neda Ulaby says it's also importing musical styles from avant garde jazz to hip-hop.

NEDA ULABY, BYLINE: I first learned about Taiwan's thriving music scene from Joshua Samuel Brown. He's a travel writer who authored the last two editions of "Lonely Planet: Taiwan."

JOSHUA SAMUEL BROWN: This man, Kou Chou Ching, they've got one song called "Your Name is Taiwan."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "YOUR NAME IS TAIWAN)

ULABY: The way Kou Chou Ching embraces national identity is a big deal for a country that was not allowed to for decades. The band acknowledges Taiwan's multiethnic population. One of the ways it does that is by using multiple indigenous dialects like Hakka and lyrics like...

BROWN: It doesn't matter what you speak at home. If you speak Taiwanese, if you speak Hakka, if you speak Mandarin. If you're eating Taiwanese rice and you're drinking Taiwanese water, that makes you Taiwanese.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "YOUR NAME IS TAIWAN")

ULABY: Kou Chou Ching is one of a few very different Taiwanese bands that have been touring North America, says Brown, including one called Chthonic.

BROWN: And they're a death metal band. I normally do not listen to death metal, but I really like these guys.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

ULABY: Chthonic's pretty famous in death metal circles worldwide, but its fan base in Taiwan is a little unusual for a band that cavorts around stage in black makeup.

BROWN: They get old people coming to their shows. They're sitting in the audience smiling happily and enjoying this head-banging music.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

ULABY: These old people, says Brown, appreciate freedom of expression as only those who've lived without it can. Chthonic incorporates Taiwanese mythology and takes pro-human rights positions on sensitive subjects like China's occupation of Tibet. And those older fans who were once forbidden from speaking Taiwanese, get a huge kick out if hearing it sung like this. Using music to rediscover Taiwanese identity is also the work of a 40-year-old classically-trained singer.

HSIEH YUNYA: My name is Hsieh YunYa.

ULABY: Hsieh sits in a small Taiwanese coffee shop in New York City with a bubble tea machine rumbling in back.

YUNYA: It's hard for you to imagine in this culture about what I experienced. For example, I wasn't allowed to speak Taiwanese.

ULABY: She now leads a group called A Moving Sound.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

ULABY: The band explores traditional Taiwanese music, including songs from its 14 aboriginal tribes. Music like this was suppressed during decades of martial law. Now, Hsieh combines it with decidedly contemporary sensibilities.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

ULABY: When she was just a child, Hsieh did light hand manufacturing every day, all day long. Her family pieced together things for export to the United States, like Christmas ornaments, artificial flowers.

YUNYA: We were working on it at home in our living room and in school, when teacher was talking, under table we were doing all this small work.

ULABY: Hsieh's American husband chimes in.

SCOTT PRAIRE: At school, she was putting the teeth in combs. The little pieces of the combs, she's putting them in one by one at school.

ULABY: Scott Praire and Hsieh met 10 years ago when she was living in New York City, studying with composer and performance artist Meredith Monk. He moved to Taiwan, joined A Moving Sound and brought Western guitars into the mix.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

ULABY: The group's members believe that reflects Taiwan today - cosmopolitan, international, culturally open. Prairie says Taiwan is a great place to be a musician, and not just because you get universal health care. It's filled with people who grew up taking music lessons and who are now eager to experiment with new and interesting forms or, like Hsieh, older ones.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

ULABY: Hsieh says Praire brought fresh ears to the traditional music she was determined to excavate, reinterpret and reclaim. She remembers the time he came to rehearsal thrilled about a familiar old folk song he'd just learned.

YUNYA: All the rest of members say: Oh, my God. It sounds so local. It's even too local for us to want to play it.

ULABY: The song is called, "The Market Song."

YUNYA: (Singing in foreign language)

PRAIRE: (Singing in foreign language)

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE MARKET SONG")

ULABY: "The Market Song" is kind of an homage to Hsieh's parents, open-air vendors. But it also celebrates a different kind of market, where music moves around the world freely through the past, into the future.